MICHAEL A HOWARD DOMINATOR
Omaha, NE — June 28, 2012
Event Information
| Date | June 28, 2012 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | CEN12CA416 |
| Event ID | 20120703X93512 |
| Location | Omaha, NE |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 41.19584, -96.11222 |
| Airport | Millard Airport |
| Highest Injury | MINR |
Aircraft
| Make | MICHAEL A HOWARD |
| Model | DOMINATOR |
| Category | GYRO |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 1 |
| None | 0 |
| Total Injured | 1 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
A nosewheel shimmy on takeoff, which resulted in the failure of the nosewheel landing gear and a loss of control.
Full Narrative
The pilot, who was also the builder, was conducting testing on the newly built gyrocopter. He reported that he spun the rotor up to approximately 110 rpm and was attempting to accelerate the rotor to flight rpm, by going down the runway. The pilot added that he was going about 25 mph when the nosewheel hit a bump in the runway and started to shimmy. He immediately reduced the throttle to slow down; however, the nosewheel strut failed, the craft turned left, and came to rest on its right side. During the rollover, the rotor and fuselage sustained substantial damage.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.